Technical information
- Title : The Saint-Ouen Zone in a Snowstorm
- Date : 1926
- Technique : Oil on panel (HSP)
- Dimensions : 54 × 64 cm
- Location : Unknown
Biographical / historical context
This work fully belongs to the ZM period, devoted to the peripheral zones of Paris. In 1926, Breuillaud deepened his exploration of fringe urban landscapes, giving a central place to climatic phenomena and to their impact on how a site is perceived.
The Saint-Ouen zone—an area of wasteland and modest architecture—then becomes a privileged motif through which to convey the harshness of the weather and the precariousness of these spaces.
Formal / stylistic description
The composition is horizontal, structured by a snowy expanse in the foreground, worked with oblique striations that suggest wind and the movement of the storm. On the right, a line of dark buildings forms a compact, angular mass, opposing the fluidity of the snowfield.
The sky occupies a broad upper band, uniform and pale, contributing to the veiled atmosphere of the scene. The palette rests on off-whites, greys and beiges, reinforced by browns and blacks in the architecture. The brushwork is broad and brushed, with visible superimposed layers, privileging an effect of movement and climate over detailed description.
Comparative analysis / related works
This canvas differs from the calmer views of the early ZM cycle by its emphasis on climatic dynamics. It nonetheless shares with the other “zone” landscapes a simplification of forms and the importance of mass relationships.
In comparison with Rue Jules Vallès, the tension no longer depends on an axis of circulation, but on the opposition between the flow of snow and the heavy stability of the constructions.
Justification of dating and attribution
The date 1926 is confirmed by a captioned reproduction in Michelle Philippon’s book (1992). The handling—still attached to a readable motif yet already highly synthetic—is consistent with this phase of the ZM cycle.
Provenance / exhibitions / publications
Work reproduced in Michelle Philippon (1992).